London... Need I say more?

Well,  I know this trip was almost a year ago and I do have some more recent drafts written (especially

about being in Brazil during the world cup)  so I hope to catch up quickly and finish editing my Europe trip soon.  I have decided to lump some of our days together as I am not sure I will be able to fill them all. Ok.. back to traveling.... London,  not sure I need to give any internet information about this city.  During our stay we get up daily and enjoy breakfast provided by the hostel,  one of the benefits of a hostel even if it is not much.  This trip is not my first visit to the large city across the pond and on our first day after waiting for a couple of stragglers to finish getting ready, I cannot help but realized I am no longer traveling on my own.  I will have to adjust a bit and be flexible on what I want to do or make the decision to head out on my own.  Agenda for today is to head to the main tourist area and catch one of the double decker bus tours and soon those stragglers join us and we are off.  Down to the tube *subway* and before boarding we quickly figure out which direction we need to travel.  After a few stops we exit the train and soon emerge into the sunshine above.  The day is partly cloudy and I must say perfect for sight seeing.  We choose one of the tour companies which has several different routes and we are on our way with cameras poised and headsets on.  I always enjoy these bus tours as they give interesting facts as you travel through the streets allowing you to plan what you want to go back to or stop and see in more detail. The next few hours are filled with enjoying the scenery of Big Ben,  Buckingham Palace and a lot of beautiful English Gardens in between.  The bus is a hop on, hop off, so we take advantage of that and find our way to some of the usual spots and of course getting some great photos.  Some of my personal highlights are the over sized bronze horse head statue in Hyde Park of central London.  There is just something about that statue that draws my attention.  My other favorites of London are the gates at Buckingham palace,  Big Ben, and just walking through the city streets.  Spending a few hours in London and soon it seems so familiar.  After two bus tours the day winds down and we find ourselves in Piccadilly Circus with its vibrant lights and crowds a bustling.  (OK maybe a little bit of information about Piccadilly Circus from wikipedia ... It is a circle at the intersection of several streets which was constructed in 1819 and has been a filled with people and traffic ever since.  Today the area is filled with lit billboards and on the southwestern side stands the statue of Eros on top of a fountain. It is definitely one of the circles trademarks.  During all hours of the day and night you can see people sitting on the stairs leading up to the statue.  The neighborhoods around the circle are filled with theaters and lots of entertainment opportunities. It is simply a must see when visiting the city.) On this evening we have decided to enjoy wandering through the streets and our plan is to see a show while in London so we are in the right area.  The group comes to a rather quick decision to see "Thriller".  We purchase our tickets for the next evenings performance and hang at Piccadilly for a bit.  A demonstration is going on so we move a little closer to take a look.  As we reach the curb of the street,  hundreds of bikers go peddling by with an occasional skate boarder in the mix.  It is fun to watch them as the make up of the group is full of characters and tricksters.  I can only conclude that they are riding for bike awareness.   After a quick visit to China town we head back to the hostel in hopes of a good night sleep.

            

On To London

I wake up early and ready to go.  I am feeling much better and glad I did not try and do more yesterday.  Breakfast, shower and soon Pip and Jack (her son) stop to walk with me to the train station.  We have checked the schedule and a quick train ride to Cardiff will get me there with a little time to look around.   Arriving at the station it is the end of the route and no one is on the train.   I say thank you and good bye to my wonderful Merthyr Tydfil hosts and soon I am on my way.   I decide to play some candy crush and don't even notice the short stops along the way and soon we are in Cardiff at the train station.  Somewhere in between Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff the skies filled with clouds that turn dark gray and rain began falling.  This truly changes my plans to explore the city, although I had realized that I am traveling with my luggage which would have limited my ability to look around. I did take some time while I was resting the day prior to learn a little about this capital of Wales called Cardiff.  With a population of around 350,o00 people it is the largest city in Wales.  A port city on the Bristol Chanel,  it has played a large part in Welsh exportation of goods for centuries.   It is the location of the Welsh government headquarters and has become the top tourist location in the country. Today the rain is falling hard and so I strategically plan my attach,  crossing the street to get to a covered entrance or dry spot on the opposite side.    I find it ironic that I cross the street to one of these first dry spots and end up in front of a Brazilian restaurant which may have ended my wet journey if it had been open.  It is closed so I continue my dodging from one canopy to the next  with carry on suitcase in tow and backpack attached.     The buildings of Cardiff are definitely old and line the streets with a definite pride.    Those same hanging tree forms filled with blooming flowers line several of the streets and one can find Welsh flags hanging all over the city center.  If only the sun was shining,  I would be able to enjoy this feature at  its fullest instead of in between sprints.    I walk quickly down the sparsely inhabited streets peering down the alley in between in search of sights to see.  In the distance I can see a castle like structure and it becomes my destination.  Cardiff Castle,  is located near the city center and is simply spectacular even on this less then perfect touring day.  When I finally get to the castle the rain has let up a bit and I am able to take a quick look around.  Once again I have regrets that I did not get on the bus the day prior but I guess I will just have to put Cardiff on my list of must sees for my next visit.  I find my way in through the large front entrance and in the middle of a green grassy areas stands a small castle like structure on top of a mound.  Obviously a place I would love to explore more,  but my time in Cardiff is running short so I am able to just view it from a distance.  I leave the interior of the great walls and walk down the street to the corner where a large tower which once helped protect the interior buildings is located.  I observe the great details of the tower and can see by the clock on it that I need to head back to the bus station.  At this point I have traveled a little ways and am not sure how far away I am.  On my way I come to a covered street which is a nice alternative to dodging from one dry spot to the next and  the wet dreary weather outside.   Lots of quick window shopping to be done as I meander towards the station.  When I arrive,  my bus is just pulling up and I realize that I am like a wet dog.  Time to get on board and enjoy the ride into London.

The ride through the countryside to London is nice and soon we are traveling down many different streets of the city.  Stop lights,  people strolling along the streets, and lots of traffic bring me back to life in the city after my short stay in Wales.    I am meeting my travel companions at the place we are staying - a youth hostel.  Luiz's brother has made all the travel plans and there are 11 of us for this first stop London.  I arrive at the bus station and step into a large patriotic lobby filled with shops and people hustling around.  I attempt to get my bearings and soon find my way to the street and look around.  It does not take me long to find  the street that will take me in the direction of the hostel and after looking around a bit I am off in the direction I need to go.  Somewhere along the way I miss a turn or maybe I am just confused by the street signs which way to go.  After a short detour and unfortunately a long walk up hill,  I realize I am walking in the wrong direction and ask a couple of people for help.  I find my way  and arrive at the hostel safe and sound.  Since there are a lot of us in our group we are taking a full room at the hostel which house 12 people so we don't have to have anyone else in the room with us. When I arrive I am greeted by the group who have just finished settling in.  They have all flown from Brazil together to meet me here.  I join them and settle into our room and since it is evening at this point and we are hungry we set out to find a place for dinner.  On my short detour I saw some places to eat so the group decides to heads up the hill  in that direction I was lost in and decide on Jamies Italian restaurant for our evening meal.  We plan to start touring pretty early the next morning so after dinner we head back and crawl into our bunk beds and call it a night.  

Cardiff Wales - Covered Street

Cardiff Wales

Europe - Day 2 - Merthyr Tydfil...

The flight across the pond has been uneventful and soon we are on the runway taxiing to the gate.  I take a minute to think  about how different first class has been with its service and amenities offered.  I am not sure it would warrant the  price for me but this flight it was a free upgrade so I am happy with it.  I exit the plane and head to find where my bus departs from (no need to stop at baggage claim as all my luggage is with me).   It is 6:30 A.M. and my reservation to Cardiff is not until 10:30.  I plan to find where it leaves from and check into an earlier bus.  It doesn’t take long to find the departure point although I must say I am underwhelmed by the airport. It is old and dated and dingy, not what I expected or remember from my last visit.  The bus stop is conveniently located right outside the terminal and it is only five Euros to get an earlier bus.  I ponder it a while but the largest issue with an earlier bus is that my friends plan to meet me in Cardiff and I have no way of getting in touch with them.  It is way too early to call.  When I left the first class cabin,  the stewardess handed me a voucher for some hotel like sleeping space located  in the airport.  Another bonus of first class.  I guess it is kind of a hotel of sorts and a shower sure sounds good.  After looking around a while I stumble upon the small space tucked in the corner of the airport.  The voucher is a complimentary stay for up to 3 hours.  Just enough time to relax, nap, brush my teeth and shower.  The room is so small there is hardly enough room to turn around but I am just wanting to close my eyes for a minute so that really doesn’t matter.

Of course as soon as my head hits the pillow it is time to get up, get read and I am off to catch the bus-  I must say this was  a wonderful unexpected perk of first class.  The bus  is not very full and soon we are on our way.  The ride through London and adjacent countryside is pleasant but uneventful and to be quite honest I struggle to stay awake.  I arrive in Cardiff to see the smiling face of my friend Pip there to greet me.  There is a short layover in Cardiff before we head to Merthyr Tydfil  my first stop on this long journey so we grab a cup of coffee.  After a short bus ride we arrive at terminal in the small city of 30,000 inhabitants.  OK,  like other posts I need to learn a little about the city I am visiting so lets consult wikipedia and see what we can find out.

Merthyr Tydfil was once the largest town in Wales but today it holds the honor of being the 14th largest urban area in Wales as it sits in the lower eastern section of the country.  According to legend, the town is named after Saint Tydfil, a daughter of King Brychan of Brycheiniog. It is said the princess was slain at Merthyr by pagans around 480 and thus the location was named Merthyr Tydfil in her honour.  The village was small with the adjacent land being filled with shepherds and small farms.  In the 1700′s during the industrial revolution, the town grew quickly as its proximity to  iron ore,  coal, and  limestone made it ideal for ironworks.  Soon railways connected the growing city with every major city and sea port in the area.    In 1861 the city was over 50,000 residence and growing but over the next several decades that growth stopped and the city began to decline as its inland location became cumbersome for the production of iron compared to new iron producing areas in the Ukraine and United States.  The city rose to a population of over 80,000 people until post World War I found many unemployed there and a mass migration of thousands away from the city.  World War II stabilized this out-migration but the iron works industry in Merthyr Tydfil has never recovered.    The last of these iron based companies shut its doors in 1987 ending the 228 years of iron production.  Today with several industries leading the employment numbers .

I am excited to get off the bus and see what this city is all about.  Of course it is afternoon and it is kind of a gloomy day with gray skies and the threat of rain. We walk up a small hill through the business district of the community.  My first impressions are that it is smaller the I expected with a Chinese restaurant on every other corner.  I was not expecting that, thought it would be a pub.  We pass by a few abandoned buildings which I am sure I will hear the story of at some point during my stay.  Soon we arrive at Pip’s grandfathers place where I will be stay.  (He is actually the father of my cousin’s husband which is my connection to them).    A quaint neighborhood with row houses in grays, whites, and browns.   By the time we arrive it is getting later so we have dinner and soon it is time to get some sleep.  I am happy to be able to get on line using a neighbors wi-fi,  but I am tired and as the jet lag begins to set in it is off to bed.. tomorrow we are planning to hike but I will leave more about that for the next post.